Recently the number one question from those searching for fitness is who they can consult with about their nutritional needs. If you would like to know how to provide your body with proper nutrition throughout the day, or are looking for guidance, please contact us asap for a personal and professional consult!
Guilty of loading your food with spices, sauces and heavy condiments? This may be one of many reasons for those extra unwanted pounds. Adding a little extra red sauce to your bowl of pasta? Dowsing your sweet potato in butter? Careful not to end up making mustard and ketchup your main meal with a side of burger. Or mayonnaise with a side of tuna.
DAILY TAKE AWAY: Sometimes adding toppings and condiments to your meal could equate to more than doubling your calories! Don’t over do it, if you can’t see your ice cream under the sprinkles…shake some off!
Looking for an amazing summer workout? Try paddle boarding (stand-up paddling). For those of you fortunate enough to make it to the beach or closest lake, this may be something you will get hooked on. Great for core strength, stability and tons of fun, stand up paddling consists of an oversize surfboard (with plenty of floatation) and an oversize paddle that you stand on.
DAILY TAKE AWAY: If you are looking to change up your rigorous gym routine, get outside, burn calories and paddle to your hearts content!
My clients do everything they can to avoid a Monday weigh-in. Why you ask? Because we often indulge in foods over the weekend that we normally do not have during the work week. We are more likely to eat out, eat at odd hours while traveling, have a few cocktails, stop for frozen yogurt, or dive into a big bag of goodies at the movies.
DAILY TAKE AWAY: Keep a log of what you eat and share it with your nutrition specialist so that they can look for patterns. Remember that it is alright to occasionally indulge, but try not to pack all your sweets into two days of the week.
1. Replace it with water!
2. Do not purchase it!
3. Visualize the pictures below on your body
4. Repeat steps one thru three
It seems summer brings a sense of urgency when it comes to change, and those of you that start hitting the gym in July to get bikini ready for August are late! But I have to say that the changes I have seen in the last 3 months have been amazing. From multiple inches lost around the waist to improved sport specific performance, some great things have been taking place.
So if you are neglecting your legs in your workout, neglecting your jump rope hanging by the door, or lifting tiny weights that will never change your body composition, it’s time to make a change in your program.
DAILY TAKE AWAY: Remember that if you make changes to your workout, you may need to make changes to your nutrition. These go hand-in-hand. The more stress you put on your body the more recovery and nutrient-dense food that you will need.
One of the most difficult tasks for my current clients is actually making it to the gym. So I am revealing one of my best kept secrets to sticking with your program and completing your daily tasks; put it in your calendar! Just as you would schedule a meeting for work or a conference call with an associate, you need to put everything, including your exercise routine, in your calendar. No, not a sticky post-it note, your calendar. It is proven that scheduled tasks that are given a specific start time are much more likely to be accomplished.
DAILY TAKE AWAY: Choose a calendar that is simple to use and easy to access via your email or smart phone. If the calendar in your phone is not sufficient then try using Google calendar to easily schedule your appointments and dedicated time for exercise.
Unfortunately, some of the most important and nutrient-dense foods in the market are also the dirtiest. The brightest and most refreshing fruits and vegetables including strawberries, blueberries, celery and tomatoes might be the most contaminated. The good news? You can wash them!
DAILY TAKE AWAY: Many times we go to the market to buy fresh fruit to eat for lunch, but make sure to wash your apples and peaches before eating them. Make sure to rinse your lettuce and produce thoroughly before consuming and buy local or organic when possible.
It’s not common for me to write a personal piece, but yesterday I experienced my first sprint triathlon and know what I took away from the event is worth sharing. Understand that most of my life I have been involved in team sports. I have not had much experience with individual events, and for those that know me I am extremely competitive with myself. With that said, I knew going into this event was going to be a personal challenge to control my inner voice.
The event is swim-bike-run, but yesterday it was more like pee-swim-bike-pee-run-eat everything in sight. I realized how much I love my body and how the connection between the mind and the body is so important. We don’t think of the body as an always changing, adapting vehicle with many abilities on a daily basis. Most of us think that our athletic or physical abilities end when we step out of the gym. Truth is that the body is constantly in a state of adaptation, even when we are sleeping. And I was thankful that my body was able to efficiently adapt to the movements performed during the three phases of the race.
DAILY TAKE AWAY: The Positive people enjoying friendly competition were amazing. At the end of the event I was thinking about my next race and reflecting on how I could improve in each phase. Set a goal to challenge yourself by entering in a competition! A great place to start is www.nyrr.org.
I have been finding some interesting graphs and charts to share, and this one is definitely one of my favorites. Although not vegetarian friendly, it does make sense. Maybe there is a vegetarian friendly version that says “protein” on the left.
Feel free to chime in…is it really this simple? Because from what I see, the traditional food pyramid is obsolete. The USDA is now promoting equal amounts of fruit, veggies, grains and protein. A very different structure than what was promoted when I was growing up.
DAILY TAKE AWAY: Both are simple. Neither of them include fast food. Which one fits you best?